1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processor configured to monitor condition of an image forming apparatus and notify the condition using a display or a voice message when the monitored result is an error.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, there has been a system in which an image processor connected to and communicating with an image forming apparatus monitors condition of the image forming apparatus and notifies the condition when an error is detected. In such a system, an “error condition” of the image forming apparatus is notified to a user by displaying a dialog box on the image processor or sending a voice message via a speaker (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-293344).
In this system, the image forming apparatus sends its condition information to the image processor every time a print job is sent from the information processor to the image forming apparatus, and the image processor notifies the user of the state of the “error condition” by, for example, displaying a dialog box whenever the received condition is not a “normal condition” but an “error condition.” Thus, as long as the image forming apparatus remains in the same “error condition,” a dialog box indicating the same “error condition” is displayed on the display of the image processor or the same “error condition” is announced through the speaker every time a print job is sent. In the image processor, every time the dialog box is displayed, the user is required to end the dialog box display by inputting a confirmation of the error condition or the user's operation is interrupted by each announcement so that there had been insufficient usability of the image processor.